Gaddis quietly makes presence felt for WVU

While his teammates are making headlines, West Virginia men's soccer team captain Raymon Gaddis quietly makes an impact on both sides of the ball.

The senior defender has started 62 games in his college career, including playing every minute during his freshman and junior year.

Gaddis is one of 14 upperclassmen who regularly sees action on a veteran No. 12 WVU squad. The experience the team has gained together has shown on the pitch so far this season.

Despite playing from the right back position, the Indianapolis native often leads the Mountaineer attack downfield, setting up opportunities for his teammates. He credits his distribution abilities to constant communication.

"In practice, the coaching staff has been preaching communication," Gaddis said. "Just making sure we stay on the same page, that way we don't have too many unforced errors."

The improvement in communication was apparent in West Virginia's most recent match against Duquesne Sunday.

Early in the first half, Gaddis sent the ball between two defenders out of bounds in what he called an "unforced error." After the play, he looked to junior midfielder Travis Pittman and said, "Where were you?"

"We've been working on our communication on and off the field," Gaddis said.

The rapport built by the two WVU veterans paid major dividends on Sunday. Shortly after the self-inflicted miscue, Gaddis and Pittman were in a similar situation on the right side facing two Duquesne defenders.

This time, Pittman was in good position, which led to a foul on Duquesne. Junior midfielder Shadow Sebele took the ensuing free kick from 25 yards out and bent it around the Dukes' goalkeeper, giving the Mountaineers the lead.

Gaddis and Pittman work hard in training and in games to force their opponents out of position and force them into making mistakes.

"That's our goal," Gaddis said. "The way we train is the way we play. We replicate what we do in practice and come out here and try to win."

Gaddis' impact is clear on defense, as well. He works together with fellow captain Eric Schoenle and others to coordinate a defense that is trying to replace a four-year starter at goalkeeper in Zach Johnson.

UNC-Charlotte transfer Pat Eavenson started at keeper for the first four games of this season, but New Mexico transfer Justin Holmes has been the starter since he posted nine saves en route to a shutout against Cal Poly on the road.

No matter who is on goal for the Mountaineers, consistent play from Gaddis and the rest of the defense has relieved pressure from the talented offense.

Like the offense, the goal on defense is limiting mistakes.

West Virginia outscored its opponents 7-2 on the weekend.

Gaddis knows his team will need to limit the mental mistakes that led to the two goals on the weekend, with Big East Conference play beginning Sunday against South Florida.

"I think it could come back and hurt us," Gaddis said. "We want to let other teams know that when they come here and play, they can't score here."